Fuzz’s Chili

This is a good, sweet & spicy, non-greasy turkey chili. The honey brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes and cuts the acidity a bit, as does the canned pumpkin. Fuzz’s chili is also pretty healthy if you use lean ground turkey.

Heat oil in large pot set over medium heat. Add onions, peppers (if using) and carrots and cook for about 3 minutes. Add turkey and cook turkey and onions together for about 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook, stirring often, until turkey is no longer pink.

Add tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. Stir well, then pour in chicken broth and tomato paste and honey. Chili will look rather liquidy at this point, but that’s okay. It should thicken as it simmers.

Fuzz,
If you keep on cooking and baking like you have been, you will be a culinary genius just like your Mom! Your chili sounds so delicious…I will definitely be fixing it soon. Have fun! Happy New Year to you and your family and friends!

Honey, huh? Is that to cut back on acidity? I actually use peanut butter for that.
But I am about to embark on a very lo-sodium chili. I had been making lo-cal, but because of the canned beans and sauce/tomatoes, the salt content was ridiculous.
I’ll let you know how it goes.

Dawn, thanks for the link! I’ve actually tried the trick of adding salsa to chicken broth to get tortilla soup. It works in a pinch.

Fuzz and I use two different recipes. The first one is a low fat soup recipe, loosely based on a recipe from Stop and Smell the Rosemary and the second one is adapted from Recipezaar. The second is a creamier version that’s more like the one they serve at Houston’s.

Both of these recipes are really easy and fun for kids, but make sure you taste as you go. This is just a template, but I think soup is a personal thing (like chili).

Quick Tortilla Soup

(About the honey, start with a teaspoon and add what you need. I like how the honey rounds out the flavors and adds a slight sweetness, but you can leave it out if that doesn’t appeal to you or you can use much less. Start with a teaspoon and taste)

Place oil in a Dutch oven and turn heat to medium. Add onions and cumin and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, chili powder, cilantro and honey and bring to a simmer. Slowly add chicken broth, stirring often. Cover loosely and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add tortillas and chicken to soup and allow heat to return to simmer. Simmer uncover for an additional 10 minutes (soup will start to thicken).

Makes about 6 cups

Tortilla Soup (adapted from Recipezaar)

This one is adapted from Recipezaar. It’s richer, but not necessarily high in fat unless you use half & half in place of milk or add tons of shredded cheese. Make sure you taste this as you go so you can adjust.

Place oil in a Dutch oven and turn heat to medium. Add onions and carrots and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in cumin, garlic, tomatoes, and taco seasoning mix and bring to a simmer. Slowly add chicken broth. Add tortillas and cook (a good hot simmer — not quite a boil) for about 20 minutes. Add the milk. At this point, taste it and see if you like it. If you feel it’s too thin, add more tortillas. If it needs salt, add some. Simmer for about 10 more minutes, then add the chicken.